By Krystal Smalley
ksmalley@wbcowqel.com
The Crawford County Commissioners looked to the Bucyrus Preservation Society for insight into the future of the courthouse dome Wednesday.
The three commissioners met with Robert Neff Jr. and David Pirnstill to discuss the status of the courthouse’s dome and roof project. Though the forward momentum of the project plans has been halted for a bit due to funding, the commissioners wanted to get the Preservation Society’s feel for the project.
“There’s two things really from a historical preservation thing we want to look at and one is the copper dome and then the other one would be the balustrades and stuff around the outside of the courthouse,” said Commissioner Steve Reinhard.
The commissioners are looking to take the balustrades down this summer. Formed copper covers wood to form the balustrades and the wood is rotting away, leaving the commissioners with concerns that the rotting pieces could fall and injure someone. There are also plans to fix the flashing as well as any other repair work. The commissioners have no plans to start any major construction this year.
“We haven’t made any decision yet on the dome,” Reinhard said. “We’ve had different proposals come in and I think this is probably the third from Felty-Heinlen. And obviously this one is the most expensive but it also restores it to the most historic or original condition.”
Reinhard informed the Neff and Pirnstill that they had looked at using cheaper materials but the life expectancy of those materials were not half of what the copper was.
With state money falling through, the commissioners are looking at a possible future bond levy campaign to fund the roof project. No concrete decision will be made until next year should the commissioners decide to pursue a bond levy. To secure the Preservation Society’s backing when it came time to propose a bond levy, however, Reinhard asked how far the Preservation Society would want the county to go to maintain a historic aspect.
“Is it the look we want to maintain or the actual authenticity we want to maintain?” Commissioner Jenny Vermillion asked.
“Architectural authenticity is important for a variety of reasons,” Neff stated. “One of which is, from my perspective, is a good idea for courthouses, churches, banks, the institutions that have lasting impact on our lives, demonstrates physically they have been there for a while and that they will be there for a while in the future. I think it’s part of what knits the community together and is part of what lends respect to those institutions.”
The commissioners had anticipated starting work on the roof project this summer but the funding sources from the state fell through, Commissioner Doug Weisenauer said. They had applied for matching funding through the Facilities Commission but, with the Commission being flooded by similar applications, that organization has since denied all courthouse requests.
“We’re going to put it on hold until we can pay for it,” Weisenauer said.
“We’re certainly behind a project to restore this, make it right for another 50 or 75 years,” stated Pirnstill.
“Hopefully 100,” Weisenauer added.
Reinhard noted that there are groups out there that want to preserve the courthouses. He pointed to the demolition of the Seneca County courthouse with the citizens split on whether to keep and restore it or tear it down.
The Wyandot County courthouse was held up as another example. A levy had been passed in that county to restore the courthouse.
“By happenstance I, in court this morning, overheard an attorney who was here from out of town who was talking to the bailiff Lee Miller. It was just remarking on the stained glass dome and how he had never seen anything nicer in the state of Ohio,” Neff said. “I can’t claim to have traveled all that much but I have been to Columbus and Cincinnati and Cleveland and I’ve never seen anything nicer, either.
“We do have the burden of having a real treasure on our hands in respect to our courthouse and I understand it’s a heavy responsibility,” said Neff.
“The need is there,” Weisenauer said. “We just have to convince the public to help us pay for it.”
“You defer the maintenance so long, we just can’t keep doing it,” he added.